Agenda item

This report concerns NHS Brent’s plans to integrate Brent Community Services within Ealing Hospital Trust and to create an Integrated Care Organisation.

Mark Easton, (Chief Executive, NHS Brent) introduced the report before the committee which provided an update on the creation of an Integrated Care Organisation (ICO) incorporating Ealing Hospital and community services in Brent, Ealing and Harrow.  He said that the project was now in its final stages to make the ICO happen.  In January 2011, NHS London would be considering the proposal.  Mark Easton referred to the reservations about the proposed transfer of Brent Community Services put forward by the Council.  He stated that these would be taken into account but he added that from feedback he had received it was likely that the application would be approved because it was presented as a robust business case and because of the timetabling implications.  However, there was a desire to deal with the reservations expressed by the council and to this end three ideas had been proposed.  One was to provide for a Brent councillor observer on the ICO Board, another was to provide a role for the Health and Well Being Board to review community services and the ICO’s plans to improve them and the third was to provide reassurance that resources would not be transferred out of Brent. 

Mark Easton referred to the information provided on children’s health services and the approach taken to safeguarding that had been provided as requested by members at their October meeting.  He acknowledged that budgetary information also requested had not been provided and undertook to forward this to the Council.

In answer to a question on why the proposed Council observer could not have voting status, Mark Easton explained that positions on the ICO Board were subject to a formal appointments process and so any such suggestion would need to be considered at that level.  Members asked that this be pursued.

Some members of the committee were concerned at the consultation process carried out and the apparent lack of consultation with officers of the council.  It seemed to them that the process had not been as transparent as it could have been.  Having submitted its comments on the proposals it was felt that the Council should have received a response to these even if it was to explain that the options were not available.  Mark Easton responded that there had in fact been discussions with council officers but he accepted that he may not have been as assiduous as he could have been in ensuring information was shared.

In summary, the committee was advised that the Brent and Harrow PCTs were merging.  The budget for Brent Community Services would however still be held as a separate Brent budget and the ICO would appoint a director for community services so there would be a strong link between the two bodies.  This arrangement would retain a borough focus and ensure quality of service with the NHS Chief Executive holding a statutory responsibility for the service. 

It was accepted that the committee’s work in this area was now complete and that members would be informed of the decision of NHS London.

RESOLVED:

(i)         that the update on Brent community services and the creation of the Integrated Care Organisation be noted;

(ii)        that the view of the committee that the status of the proposed Council position on the ICO Board should be upgraded to a voting role be put forward;

(iii)       that the decision of NHS London on the establishment of the ICO be conveyed to members of the Health Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny Committee as soon as it is known.